JUSTICE FOR KATOINE RICHARDSON FREE BLACK PEOPLE

JUSTICE FOR KATOINE RICHARDSON || FUNDRAISER TO FREE BLACK PEOPLE FROM DANE COUNTY JAIL WHO WERE TARGETED BY MADISON COPS

This is a fundraiser for Free The 350 Bail Fund

On Sunday Oct. 10th, 19-year old Katoine Richardson was heading home from work when Madison police officers chased him down and wrestled him to the pavement. In the struggle, one of the police officers is believed to have shot the other officer with their service weapon, but in a pathetic attempt to avoid showing the community how incompetent they are, the police subsequently released a statement that heavily criminalized Katoine and implied he was the one who shot the officer. The statement described him as a “wanted subject” and completely failed to mention that he was just attempting to walk home after work when police began harassing him, chasing him, and brutalizing him.

This police statement led to multiple news outlets framing this youth as an attempted cop killer, many of which have still not corrected this false narrative despite court documents being released saying that Katoine never even so much as fired a gun, let alone shot someone. There is also ambiguity around if an officer was actually shot at all. In actuality, the police chased Katoine down, brutalized him, and kidnapped him for walking--an experience that is all too common for Black youth. This is also not the first time Katoine has been criminalized by police for simply existing--he’s been targeted for not being able to pay bond, being outside at night, and attempting to escape police violence. When the stories and statements came out implying that Katoine shot the officer his bail was set at a staggering $50,000--later reduced to $16,000. Katoine is currently still incarcerated, but the cops and news reporters whose lies further criminalized him are not currently facing any charges.

This situation highlights the use of cash bail to reinforce the whims of discriminatory policing and the racist incarceration system. Free The 350 Bail Fund is raising funds to pay bail for Black people targeted by disproportionate policing by Madison and Dane County police and Sheriffs like Katoine Richardson.

More information about Free The 350 Bail Fund: Free The 350 Bail Fund pays bails for people in Dane County Jail who are in there because they can't afford to pay bail themselves. Free The 350 Bail Fund seeks to prioritize Black women, LGBTQ+ and youth.

More information about Social Justice Center Inc (Sjc): The Social Justice Center provides office space for progressive nonprofit organizations.